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Jean Betts

JEAN BETTS  (1955 - )

 Nationality:    New Zealander/aotearoan
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    Playmarket Inc  


Jean is a founding member of Circa and Taki Rua Theatres, Playmarket, The Play Press (www.playpress.co.nz) and the Womens Play Press. She started out as an actor and director and has considerable professional experience both in New Zealand and away and a long association with all of Wellington's theatres in other capacities. She has two sons and lives in Wellington.

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below is a list of Jean Betts's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

 Camelot School         Collective, The         Digger and Nudger Try Harder         Into The Uncanny Valley         Misandrist, The         Ophelia Thinks Harder         Revenge Of The Amazons         Saskia's Version         Strange Brew

Camelot School

Jean Betts
an anarchic absurdist celebration; much fighting, laughing, puzzling, witchery and nudity, and answers to very important questions.

Notes:
a one-act play for A youngish company - A total of 11-13 Actors is required.

1st Produced:
BATS, Wellington    1997

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
young adult

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  8            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:
-

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Collective, The

Jean Betts
an inquiry in which the circumstances are imaginary but the pictures are real. The spy Anthony Blunt in an enigmatic investigation.

Notes:
Based on John Fuegi's book "Brecht & Co."; finalist for Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2003/4

1st Produced:
BATS, Wellington    2003

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
epic' drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  doubling optional

Further Reference:
-

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Digger and Nudger Try Harder

Synopsis:
Audience favourites Digger and Nudger go on a voyage of self-discovery. Getting in touch with their psychic ovaries, they become true blue "men" of the 90s.
http://www.playmarket.org.nz/playwrights/jean-betts

Notes:
written by Jean Betts and Lorae Parry

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  cast of 3

Further Reference:
-

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Into The Uncanny Valley

Synopsis:
Using a mixture of theatre, dance, music, and visual and physical effects, our audience will be taken on a surprising and inspiring theatrical adventure. We follow Sophie, as she takes an Uncanny journey from the clockwork universe' of the 19th century, through the profound but counter-intuitive truths uncovered by physics in the 20th century meeting many weird and wonderful characters along the way - up to what may finally be the discovery of the 'God Particle' within humanity's greatest ever machine: the Large Hadron Collider...The inspiration for Into the Uncanny Valley began backstage of the 1993 Circa production of Jean Betts' Ophelia Thinks Harder where former particle physicist turned part-time actor Nick Wyatt wowed young child performer Charlie Bleakley with the stunning and wondrous ideas of 20th century physics. The conversation leisurely continued as Charlie's interests in both physics and theatre developed (6th form prizes physics & drama) as did Nick's belief that the astonishing concepts within modern science could be beautifully explored for a broader audience. They presented their ideas to several vastly experienced scientists, artists and professionals who were swiftly inspired to take on their project, collaborating to turn their fantastical ideas into reality - Lumina productions was born.
- http://www.theatreview.org.nz

Notes:
by "Jean Betts with Charlie Bleakley, based on an idea by Nick Wyatt and Charlie Bleakley, with thanks for refinements by the original cast."

1st Produced:
BATS, Wellington    03 Nov 2012

Organisations:
Lumina Productions as part of STAB 2012

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
piece

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  dancers and musicians

Further Reference:
-

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Misandrist, The

Jean Betts
a family live out the warning messages from pre-Grimm- mangled fairy stories

Notes:
Full length; winner of Aoraki Playwriting competition 2000

1st Produced:
BATS, Wellington    2000

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
tough comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  optional doubling

Further Reference:
-

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Ophelia Thinks Harder

Jean Betts
Hamlet radically rewritten from Ophelia's point of viwe

Notes:
Full length; mimimum cast of 9 with doubling; maximum 17

1st Produced:
Circa Theatre, NZ    1993

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
tough comedy

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  4            Other:  doubling optional

Further Reference:
-

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Revenge Of The Amazons

Jean Betts
For instance, a women's theatre group tries to persuade Hipployta not to marry,and Oberon falls in love with a feminist bunny girl

Notes:
Full length; "a Midsummer Night's Dream" gender reversed And re- examined

1st Produced:
Circa Theatre, NZ    1994

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  12            Other:  optional crowds

Further Reference:
-

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Saskia's Version

Synopsis:
Four friends in their early 20s set out to save the world. Politics, environmental issues, boyfriends and traumas combine as they search for their places in the world. Based around a true event from the Ploughshares Project.
http://www.playmarket.org.nz/playwrights/jean-betts

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Playmarket,    -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Youth Drama One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  7            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Strange Brew

Synopsis:
A mediaeval romantic comedy for a large cast of young persons, based around the Tristan and Isolde story.
http://www.playmarket.org.nz/playwrights/jean-betts

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Young & Hungry @ Bats    1994

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Playmarket,    -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Youth Drama One act

Parts:
Male:  10            Female:  10            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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